Eger wine region is famous for its red blend called Egri Bikavér, and every July a fabulous festivity is held – this year on 11–14 July– to celebrate the blend and its ability to be paired well with different types of dishes. Bikavér Festivity is an open air festival with wineries exhibiting side by side with local restaurants so that visitors could taste Egri Bikavér along with a meal created to match that certain Bikavér.

This year organizers announced a photo contest anterior the event. Grab a bottle of Egri Bikavér and take a selfie (with the label clearly visible), and send this selfie in a message to the official Facebook-page of the event until 30 June. From 30 June photos will be uploaded and voting begins. The photo with the most „like” or comment or other reactions will bring victory for the the „photographer–drinker”. The first prize is a dinner for two in HBH restaurant, Eger, while the second prize is an evening at the VIP section of Bikavér Feast. The third prize is a selection of six bottles of wine. Bikavér Feast is an entrance free event with several music programmes, kids’ animation, gastro exhibitors.

More information about the 23rd Bikavér Feast

3 wines and 3 matching meals

Thummerer Wineryis a legendary estate of Eger wine region with Vilmos Thummerer, Winemaker of the Year (1995). A whole range of Thummerer wines will be available at the festival, but perhaps the stunning, multi award winner Egri Bikavér Superior 2013 will be the best partner of the meal offered in their tent:

• Bikavér braised beef cheeks with cream of celeriac and rice crackers

And the wine: „This Egri Bikavér Superior 2013 is one of the flagship wines of the winery, made only is the best vintages. A fully ripened, developed great wine with stunning character and soft tannins.”

Tóth Ferenc Winery is again a family winery, the owner Ferenc Tóth is celebrating his 80th birthday these days. It is worth tasting their Egri Csillag wines as well (the white blend of Eger), and we can experiment which wine suits better for the meal, a rosé made of Kékfrankos? A lighter Bikavér? Or the top Egri Bikavér Superior? The soup is:

• Venison ragout soup served in a „bread bowl”

The best choice is probably the Superior again: „A Superior category Bikavér, a blend of the selection of the best base wines of the winery. Kékfrankos base, the three Bordeaux varieties, Pinot Noir and Kadarka got the place in this blend. Deep coloured extremely rich, multi layered Bikavér style. Nice, well riped fruit resulted intense violet and plum aromas on the nose combined with spicy sour and sweet cherry notes. Serious structured rounded wine with long finish and great potential.”

Grand Tokaj –as the name suggests – is a winery outside Eger wine region, obviously from Tokaj. They will present both their dry and sweet wines, and their Grand Tokaj N°8 2015 will offer wonderful refreshmentbefore, between and also after the red wines.

Grand Tokaj N°8 2015: „Light greenish yellow. Clear nose with fruitiness typical of the vintage, pear, peach, a touch of smokiness and spring flowers. The palate is complex due to the blending of Furmint and Hárslevelű varieties, and as a result of the versatile, layered characteristics of eight wine communes of Tokaj wine region. The nose is followed by harmonious flavours. The flowery-honeyed notes of Hárslevelű are combined with the vitality and body of Furmint, resulting a complex wine.”